When I read that American Kyle Snyder won the silver medal in Freestyle Wrestling (215-pound category) at the Tokyo Olympics, it reminded me of interviewing gold medalist Brandon Slay for my book, How Do You Know He’s Real: God Unplugged. Wow, has time flown. I thought you might find his story inspiring. I surely did. Brandon Slay surprised the world when he won the Olympic Gold Medal in Freestyle Wrestling at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. A native of Amarillo, Texas, Slay has wrestled most of his life, including a successful career at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned dual degrees in Finance and Management from the prestigious […]
Read more...Category Archives: Interviews
Still in the Miracle Business
In 2006 I interviewed Tricia and Melissa Brock, the sister team behind the Christian pop band, Superchic[k] for my book, God Unplugged. I was astonished by the way God showed up in their young lives. Melissa One day, my mom and I were driving to my grandpa’s house to celebrate his birthday. She needed to stop at her seamstress’ house on the way. When we arrived, my mom parked the car in the driveway that was at an upward incline. She said she’d be just a second and told me to sit there and wait. Well, being four years old, I didn’t “just wait.” I decided to mess with things in […]
Read more...FREE Kindle Copy of “Facing the Dragon!”
Nope, I’m not kidding. the Kindle version of Facing the Dragon: How a Desperate Act Pulled One Addict out of Methamphetamine Hell is FREE from May 28 – June 3. (If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still take advantage of this offer. There is a free Kindle app available for smartphones, tablets, and PCs.) In Facing the Dragon, you will witness the slow, agonizing metamorphosis of a good-looking high-school athlete into a violent, drug-dealing, psychotic wife-beater whose children were terrified of him. After more than twenty-three years addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs, David Parnell put an SKS assault rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger. The […]
Read more...The Munoz Family: Facing Tragedy with Grace
My dear friend Kris Munoz once told me that grief is like the waves of the ocean. Sometimes the sea is calm and tranquil; other times the waves crash angrily on the shore. I now know what she means. Terry and Kristine Munoz experienced a parent’s worst nightmare six years ago today. On October 9, 2007, Kris and their three children were involved in a horrific car accident. The tragedy rocked our small community and impacted people all over the world. You can read the full story here: https://amyhagberg.com/2007/10/15/everything-changes-in-the-blink-of-an-eye/ Amanda (13) was treated for a serious hematoma inside her spleen, several fractured ribs, and significant bruising on her […]
Read more...STANDING TALL: How WNBA Player Ruth Riley Copes with Championship Stress
Sunday night I watched in awe as the Minnesota Lynx pounded the Atlanta Dream 84-59 in game one of the 2013 WNBA Championship. These amazingly talented athletes made the game look so effortless and fluid. Me, I’d be lucky to make a basket granny style on a Fischer-Price I Can Play Basketball. I am rather petite… well… short, really. I name it and claim it. The vertically challenged gene is a powerful part of my DNA and part of my identity. Of course, I knew early on that I would never play hoops or volleyball competitively without humiliating myself, so it may come as a surprise that I am […]
Read more...How NFL Kicker Jason Hanson Knows God is Real
Back in 2005 I had an opportunity to interview Jason Hanson of the Detroit Lions. He shared his testimony for my first book and later on my podcast. Last Saturday night I was in the audience for the KLOVE Fan Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. I was thrilled when Jason’s name was called as a nominee for the Sports Impact award. After the ceremony it was wonderful to finally meet him and his family in person. Jason retired in April 2013 after 21 seasons as the placekicker for the Lions. He holds the record for the most games played with one team. In his storied career, Jason […]
Read more...MAN DOES THE UNTHINKABLE TO STOP HIS DRUG ADDICTION
After more than twenty-three years addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs, David Parnell put an SKS assault rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger. The blast took off half his face, yet somehow he survived. Following an afterlife experience where he briefly experienced both hell and heaven, David woke up in the hospital. He was changed forever, both physically and emotionally. In 2010, David Parnell and I wrote his memoir, FACING THE DRAGON: How a Desperate Act Pulled One Addict Out of Methamphetamine Hell, about his horrific drug addiction and dual suicide attempts. In Facing the Dragon, you will witness the slow, agonizing metamorphosis of a good-looking high-school athlete into […]
Read more...A CAREER IS LAUNCHED!
Back in 2005, my daughter invited her friend, Justin, to join her at youth group. Surprisingly, he looked her square in the face and said, “How do you even know He’s real?” She had no idea how to respond to that question, and to be honest, neither did I. It haunted me. That is the universal question isn’t it? How do we know Christ is real? To many people, Jesus is just a legend, a wise and kind man, a prophet. I wondered, what would convince people like Justin that following Jesus is worth a try? I embarked on a journey to prove that Christ is real. In a moment […]
Read more...A Big Piece of Humble Pie
If an author’s publisher has a little marketing budget (rare these days) he or she may get booked on some TV and radio broadcasts to gain publicity and move some books. The publicist (Nashville Publicity) for my first two books did a phenomenal job and I was on all kinds of fun shows. Several years ago I made a quick trip to Indiana for an appearance on the Harvest Show. These little jaunts can be grueling. You spend days preparing and traveling for an interview that only lasts about 10 minutes, but it’s all part of the game. Hopefully the time spent away from family and work pays off in […]
Read more...MY LIFE AS A WRITER
Many of you are aware that I am a writer, but you have no idea what kind of work I do. Well, it is time to remedy that. Writing is not a hobby for me, it is my profession. After spending more than twenty years in corporate sales and marketing, I made a huge career U-turn and wrote a book. It was an insane idea; I had never had a word published. In fact, If you would have told me back in 2005 that I would be wearing pajama pants to work instead of suits and pantyhose, I would have recommended a good therapist. Yet here I am interviewing the […]
Read more...